Is 239K Miles Sketchy?

[sparkslord]

I'm looking at a 99 Limited 4runner. It has 239K miles on it. Is that a lot for a 4runner. It has a new timing belt, water pump, oil seals, and idler pulley. The vehicle looks perfect. It's the mileage that concerns me. What do you guys think?

 

[TXRick]

I'm looking at a 99 Limited 4runner. It has 239K miles on it. Is that a lot for a 4runner. It has a new timing belt, water pump, oil seals, and idler pulley. The vehicle looks perfect. It's the mileage that concerns me. What do you guys think?

That's good those things are fixed. How much are you paying?
I'm well over that and love driving her. Be prepared for other maintainace stuff but the tb and stuff are the biggie. Check my build thread. I'm well over 239k and running strong.

 

[BoostedRNR]

I just bought mine, 250k for 1700. It needed a rear hatch and was pretty dirty, but i still bought it. I'm into it close to 5 grand after lifting it and getting it on the road. I don't feel bad at all and love the crap out of it.

 

[98WhiteT4R]

With that kind of mileage you need to just be ready to do maintenance. In the long run a few hundred dollars every 6 months or so is still cheaper then a new car payment.

 

[Harleydoc]

I have 260k on mine and running good just drove it from va to nj today.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Just be sure to do that compression test

 

[bandman659]

I just rolled over 230k on mine and it pretty much runs like the day we bought it in 2006 with 78k. I did just have the starter and the radiator fail (external leak, no milkshake), but that's to be expected after a vehicle has basically driven to the Moon.

Make sure the trans shifts well and the fluid looks clean, do a compression check, and look for frame rust. That's pretty much it.

 

[JayRolla]

I bought mine at 178k mileage. Its just getting too 232k. I was comfortable when I bought it, but now that its hitting the 230k mark Im starting to see a little wear show its face. Im starting to get a little lifter lash around 3-4k rpms. Sounds like a bees nest when the motor is running in that rpm range which is where the motor mostly works. Also at this mileage you start to risk head gasket failure, piston ring failure and main oil seal failures. If you are planning on buying one for a daily driver I would really look into getting a lower mileage one. I know im starting to look for a replacement motor now before its too late since this is my daily.

 

[amalik]

I bought mine at 178k mileage. Its just getting too 232k. I was comfortable when I bought it, but now that its hitting the 230k mark Im starting to see a little wear show its face. Im starting to get a little lifter lash around 3-4k rpms. Sounds like a bees nest when the motor is running in that rpm range which is where the motor mostly works. Also at this mileage you start to risk head gasket failure, piston ring failure and main oil seal failures. If you are planning on buying one for a daily driver I would really look into getting a lower mileage one. I know im starting to look for a replacement motor now before its too late since this is my daily.

Head gasket and Piston rings are not really common maintenance items but... in terms of oil seal do you just mean the Crankshaft oil seal?

If so -- I've seen some people do that as part of the timing belt and water pump service.

Amazon.com: Genuine Toyota 90311-40022 Type-T Engine Crankshaft Oil Seal: Automotive

 

[BrianSD_42]

Whats he's saying is that at near 250k miles parts of the engine begin to wear out. Eg exist on the latter parts of their functioning lives. Maybe nothing will break until 300k, maybe. Either way the clock is ticking because mechanical parts do wear out. So if you are looking for a commutor vehicle then a 4Runner with 230+k miles is probably not the best choice.

Head gasket and Piston rings are not really common maintenance items but... in terms of oil seal do you just mean the Crankshaft oil seal?

If so -- I've seen some people do that as part of the timing belt and water pump service.

Amazon.com: Genuine Toyota 90311-40022 Type-T Engine Crankshaft Oil Seal: Automotive

 

[amalik]

Whats he's saying is that at near 250k miles parts of the engine begin to wear out. Eg exist on the latter parts of their functioning lives. Maybe nothing will break until 300k, maybe. Either way the clock is ticking because mechanical parts do wear out. So if you are looking for a commutor vehicle then a 4Runner with 230+k miles is probably not the best choice.

I'm aware -- just was asking what part he was referencing though.

 

[Neil_R]

Mine has 267.5k and it's going strong. The engine runs flawlessly. Burns no oil, leaks no oil, makes no strange noises. Wouldnt hesitate to drive cross country in it. With proper maintenance these 5VZs can go for 500k.

-NR

 

[USMC0351]

Well if it's in as good of shape as you say, OP, and has those items taken care of... then depending on price I'd pull the trigger. I paid $5k for mine at 226k miles (more than book value, yes, but it was the only local one I found that wasn't the victim of 16 yr old redneck hell raising and mud slingin), and it was (is) in excellent shape. Everything works but the power antenna. I've taken it from AL to TX, and took a trip to CO recently (both trips are approximately 800 miles one way). It even got 22mpg on a leg of the CO trip doing 75mph on the highway. Only serious issue I've had to address was the starter began to fail... $9 for contacts/Plunger from amazon and it was fixed. I'm at 242k now, trying to get ready to do a preemptive strike and knock out the TB/WP, VC gaskets (small leak), fuel pump and filter, TBU, and radiator/trans cooler. :guitar3:

 

[Snowy21]

It depends....

A lot of it will have to do with your expectations. If you have the time, knowledge and tools to work on an older truck then it could be a good deal. No matter the mileage, these trucks are getting older and will have little piddly things that go wrong that can be annoying/expensive to fix without the right tools/knowledge. As has been stated, a few hundred every year is a lot cheaper than a payment.

Major failures such as head gaskets, transmission issues, etc. are difficult to predict and strike at many different mileages for different people (if ever). Just something to keep in mind when purchasing an older vehicle

FWIW I had an 02 4Runner that had 290k hard miles on it when I traded it with no major failures. But lots of little things that needed attention through the years that would have gotten expensive if I did not do all the work myself (axle seals, cv boots, worn front end components, and RUST among other things). It was a damn good truck that always got me where I needed but more often than not there was something that needed attention almost all the time.